The invention relates to a sun visor for a motor vehicle, and particularly to means for moving the sun visor between an inoperative and an operative position.
A conventional sun visor has a main supporting swivel bearing located at one end area of its upper longitudinal edge. In some sun visors there also may be a counter-bearing located at the other end area of the upper edge of the visor.
Customarily, a passenger in a vehicle will place a sun visor into use by gripping it at the free longitudinal edge opposite the bearing and flipping it downwards into place, generally covering an upper portion of the windshield. Thus the sun visor, in the process of being flipped downward, is caused to travel through an arc of up to 180 degrees or more. The free longitudinal edge first travels in an arcuate path into the interior of the vehicle and then along the same arc toward the windshield, as needed.
In many intermediate positions the free edge of the sun visor body is oriented directly opposite the vehicle occupants, which can be hazardous. In the event of a collision, the head of a passenger may be thrown directly into that free edge and serious head injuries may result, notwithstanding any padding on the sun visor. There are further problems resulting from the necessity of moving the sun visor body in that arcuate path first toward the passenger and only then toward the windshield. To begin with, the sun visor body must traverse an arc of 90 degrees or more before it reaches a position affording any glare protection. An intense sudden glare, occurring for example, when a vehicle is making a turn or while it is following a curve in the road, may require an instant response. The lapse of several seconds required for the occupant to reach for the sun visor and to turn it through its normal circular arc and to adjust it into position may cause the driver to suffer temporary blindness. If the driver is forced to look away from the road because of the sudden glare, it may prove hazardous, particularly in the midst of fast-moving two-way traffic.
Another disadvantage of the swivelable sun visor occurs in some sports cars because the relatively low height of the car affords less head room. When the free edge of the sun visor body is moved through its circular arc toward the driver, he must duck or turn sideways, causing him to momentarily take his eyes off the road.
In another sun visor design, shown in German Patent Specification 947,049, parallel guides with paths in planes perpendicular to the visor body, are provided so that the visor can be swung downward from a non-use position along the roof above the windshield to a use position along the upper part of that windshield. That sun visor must also be moved relatively far into the vehicle interior during the swivel motion, resulting in the already mentioned hazards, particularly when space inside the vehicle is minimal. Furthermore, the problem is compounded as the length of the guides is increased. But if the guides are kept short, glare protection is decreased and may be inadequate. Moreover, in the process of pivoting such guides, a relatively wide gap can form between the roof and the visor body.
In the case of a curved sun visor for vehicles with curved windshields, the visor is made to conform to the curvature of the windshield and to move in accordance with that curvature. See, for example, German Patent Specification 904,743. The long front and rear edges of the sun visor body are both moved obliquely downward along the same path of motion in the direction toward the windshield. Although that sun visor overcomes the problems occurring when a sun visor is moved into the passenger compartment, its application is limited to curved windshields and it must be made to conform to the particular curvature of the windshield with which it is to be used.